FREE Printables to Help You Create a Quadrilateral Family Tree
These free printables will help you and your students create a quadrilateral family tree. There are pictures of shapes and descriptions of the shapes for the children to use.
It can be so confusing. Questions like, “Is a square a rectangle?” can throw our little guys for a loop. Seriously, to our concrete thinkers….how in the world is a square a rectangle.
When exploring thee concepts, our children need lots of different exposure. One way is to let them put together a quadrilateral family tree!
This is day two of my quadrilateral series. Here are the other posts!!
Day 1: Quadrilateral Art Project
Third Day: Quadrilateral BINGO
Next, came Quadrilateral STEM Challenge
Quadrilateral Clip Cards
Prep – Work
Unfortunately, this is not one of those easy prep activities, but it is worth the effort!
As I suggested in my last quadrilateral post, you may want to cut out the shapes. When we first attempted this activity, I allowed my 4 and 5-year-old to cut them out, and what I had planned for the shapes to be was not what they turned out to be. Going off the line just a little can make a rectangle a parallelogram or a trapezoid! But the rest of it the rest the students can cut out on their own 🙂
- First, print off all the pages on copy paper. You do not need one page per child. The page with the attributes on it can be used for two children.
- Next, cut out the shapes and keep each set separate.
- Finally, provide scissors, glue, and large construction paper for the children to use.
Pacon Tru-Ray Construction Paper, 12-Inches by 18-Inches, 50-Count, Assorted (103063)
Elmer’s All Purpose School Glue Sticks, Washable, 30 Pack, 0.24-ounce sticksHammermill Paper, Copy, 20lb, 8.5 x 11, 92 Bright, Letter, 1,500 Sheets / 3 Reams, (113620), Made In The USA
Directions:
Begin by having the students cut on the solid lines of the boxes with the names of the shapes. Depending on where your students are, work out where they need to be glued to the family tree. Obviously, with my four and five-year-old, I told them where to put them. With 4th and 5th graders they may be able to figure out how to classify them if you ask the right questions!!
Step 2:
Secondly, glue the shapes on the correct box. As my children did this, we examined each shape. I had previously decided to focus on parallel lines and the length of lines. Again, if I was working with my former fourth and fifth-grade students, I would be discussing angles, congruent lines, etc.
Also, it is important to remember that a square is always a parallelogram, rhombus, and rectangle. I instructed the boys to put a square under each of those names.
The same is true for a rhombus and rectangle. Those shapes were also put in the parallelogram box.
Step 3:
Once the shapes are glued on, head on to the descriptions of the shapes. I’ve included numerous rules, but you can modify it to your needs.
With my little ones, I did not use any of the descriptions that had anything to do with angles.
If you need a little help knowing the classifications, check out this anchor chart by Mrs. Rathel’s Reef.
Now you have a chart, that they can use when then play the BINGO game, or so any classifying work!
I enjoyed all the conversations we had about shapes with this activity, and I hope your students will grow in their understanding of quadrilaterals as they work through this!!
You’ve Got This
You can purchase all five lessons, plus three cut and paste printables not on my blog at TpT or my store.
If You Were a Quadrilateral (Math Fun)Quadrilaterals Song and Music Video For Kids: 2D Shapes Animated CartoonShapes, Grades 1-3 Workbook
